As a graduate from Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey, Stacey Ciprich majored in history and secondary education, as well as serving as senior class president of the graduating class of 2007 and the National History Scholar of New Jersey. After teaching in New Jersey, she joined Teach For America and worked in St. Louis Public Schools teaching history and civics, serving as the Social Studies Department Head, then College Placement Coordinator, and then Assistant Principal while also obtaining a Masters of Education and Secondary Administration from the University of Missouri. Also while in New Jersey and St. Louis, Ms. Ciprich was actively involved in extra-curricular activities such as serving as the head Varsity cheerleading coach, Student Government advisor, and leadership team in which her school, Northwest Academy of Law, received its accreditation. In 2012, Ms. Ciprich accepted a position with the Lawrence Public Schools where she became the Assistant Principal at the Health and Human Services High School, now a Level One high school, at the Lawrence High School Campus until December of 2014, when she transitioned to becoming the founding Principal of Abbott Lawrence Academy. Ms. Ciprich, has been the Principal at ALA since January 2015, from the school’s initial creation. Ms. Ciprich also attended Boston College as the first member of the Lawrence Public Schools to be accepted into the Lynch Leadership Academy.
Yohanna Estevez grew up in the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo. At the age of 11 she moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts. She is a Lawrence High School alumni from the class of 2002. Yohanna is also a proud alumni of the Salem State Upward Bound Program. She worked with the Visually Impaired community for more than 13 years in LPS. Yohanna obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University in 2015. This is currently her first year as the ALA office clerk. During her free time, you will find her listening to her favorite singer Romeo Santos, attending church, and most importantly, spending time with her family of four; son, daughter, husband and her baby Obby (Chihuahua).
Molly Coyne is the School Adjustment Counselor at Abbott Lawrence Academy. She attended Southern New Hampshire University, graduating in 2017 with a B.A. in Special Education. She continued on to a graduate program in both Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling at Teacher’s College of Columbia University in New York City. Following her graduation in 2019, Molly returned to Massachusetts and held a number of long-term substitute counseling positions at both ALA and LHS. After being a part of the Abbott family and getting to know so many wonderful students, Molly is so grateful to be able to come on-board to a new position as the School Adjustment Counselor to help support the wellbeing and success of the whole Abbott family. Outside of school, Molly enjoys reading, baking, and spending time outdoors at the beach or hiking.
Micaela Masterson is the Guidance Counselor at Abbott Lawrence Academy. Ms. Masterson grew up in North Andover, Massachusetts. After graduating from high school, Ms. Masterson attended Salem State College, where she obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. After graduating, Ms. Masterson began working as the Social Programs Coordinator for North Andover Youth & Recreation Services. She gained many years of experience planning and implementing programs, events and community service opportunities for youth in her community. It was through her experiences working with middle school and high school youth and their families that she decided to continue her education in Social Work. Ms. Masterson began a Masters of Social Work Program at University of New England, while continuing to work full-time for Youth & Recreation Services. In 2015, while finishing her final year in her MSW program, Ms. Masterson joined the Abbott Lawrence Academy team as the Social Work Intern. Ms. Masterson graduated in May 2016 with her Masters in Social Work and was thrilled to join the Abbott Lawrence Academy team full-time and continue to support the ALA students as their Guidance Counselor. Outside of school, Ms. Masterson enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and travelling.
Michelle Davidson grew up in Newton, Massachusetts. After high school she attended the University of Richmond where she majored in Psychology and Education. After college she moved to St. Louis where she began her teaching career and completed her master’s in education at the University of Missouri. During her time in St. Louis she won St. Louis Public School’s Math Educator of the Year award in addition to helping organize and fundraise a trip for students to Costa Rica. Since returning to Massachusetts, Michelle has enjoyed time playing with her new puppy, exercising, and baking. Michelle is excited to be a part of the ALA family and help the freshman conquer Algebra 1.
Reibin Hiraldo is from Lawrence High School. He received his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a double minor in education and psychology from Salem State University. He is a proud owner of two puppies named Zero and Ghost. He likes playing volleyball and is a Lawrence High School alumnus. He taught two years in Medford High School and is excited to come back home and teach the young adults here in Abbott Lawrence Academy.
Scott Zuckerbrow was born and raised in Staten Island, NY. He attended The University of Buffalo as a Mathematical Physics Major. As he progressed through college, he realized that his true passion was for math and passing his passion onto others. After realizing this, he concentrated solely on mathematics and he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and his Master’s degree in Secondary Math Education from The University of Buffalo. After graduating, he taught math in NYC for over eight years. While there, he helped with the school plays as Stage Director and coached both the JV and Varsity basketball teams. He is excited to bring his passion for math and teaching to Lawrence and continue to pursue his professional goal, which is to make mathematics accessible to all students at any level. In his spare time, he likes to play golf, basketball, tennis, and volleyball, watch TV and movies, go on hikes, and cook.
Samantha Doolittle was born and raised in Massachusetts. She graduated from Wachusett Regional High School in 2010, then earned her Bachelor’s degree at Mount Holyoke College, where she double majored in English Literature and Theatre Arts. As a college junior, she won the Beinecke Scholarship, a national scholarship for advanced graduate study. In her senior year, she wrote an honors thesis exploring African American race performativity in contemporary American theatre (it was an amazing experience, but a lot of crying was involved). She graduated Magna Cum Laude with High Honors from Mount Holyoke in 2014 and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. After studying Dramaturgy at UMass Amherst for a year, she realized her passion lies in teaching, so she withdrew from the program in order chase her dreams! She graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education with her M.Ed in 2016. Sam is deeply committed to social justice and educational equity, and it permeates all aspects of her life. In her free time, she loves to: hoard (and read!) books; tend to her 36 houseplants; cry about how much she loves her cat, Benny; bake cookies and cakes she can’t possibly finish on her own; take concerningly long naps; wander around the city discovering new places, sometimes for hours (ask her about the time she accidentally walked to Saugus!); and spend time with her incredible family and friends.
Steve Melis was born in Greece, but grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. After studying English at Williams College and Oxford University, he lived in New York City, working in publishing and then completing a year of City Year at PS 112 in Queens. After realizing that education is his calling, he joined Teach for America and taught English and Theater at several schools: 4 years at De Anza High School in Richmond, CA, and 1 year at Noble Street College Prep in Chicago, IL. He then moved to Massachusetts and has been teaching at Abbott since its first ever sophomore class. In his free time, Mr. Melis enjoys loud music, fancy cats, long-distance running, and video games.
Brianna Alves was born in Brockton, Massachusetts. She stayed on the South Shore up until she finished undergraduate at Bridgewater State University. At BSU, she completed her Bachelor’s in English with minors in Secondary Education and Psychology. After college, she moved to Malden to be closer to her first teaching job as an 8th Grade ELA teacher. She was also lucky enough to teach Adult Learners for a year as they worked on passing the HiSet exam. After 4 years of being an ELA teacher for 8th grade in Everret, she then became the Dean of Students for 3 years. During her time working in Everett, she attended Boston University and graduated from the Master’s program with her degree in Curriculum and Teaching. Now, Mrs. Alves is happy to join the ALA team and teach all about the literature that makes her happy. Mrs. Alves spends her free time with her family (a husband and two little girls plus their beloved dog Benny). When she can, she likes to read as much as possible even if it means staying up far too late on a school night.
Laura Perrotta grew up in Salem, NH. She attended the University of New Hampshire where she majored in English. One of her favorite memories is her time studying abroad in London, England, her junior year. After college, she completed her Master’s in Education program through Rivier University and moved to Dover, NH where she taught English at St.Thomas Aquinas High School. In 2014, Laura moved to Brooklyn, New York, where she continued teaching English at Uncommon Collegiate Charter High School. She returned to New England in 2016 and has been teaching in Lawrence since then, ultimately joining Abbott Lawrence Academy in 2019. At ALA, she teaches all 9th graders in Advanced Honors English, as well at the junior elective SAT Prep, and a multi-grade level elective, Introduction to Blogging. In her free time, Laura enjoys writing, water coloring, and spending time with her family. She’s excited to be part of the ALA family and to support her students through their high school experience.
David Wendler was born in Houston, Texas, but raised in Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Wendler graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2010. After graduation, Mr. Wendler worked as an English Teacher at Colégio Diocesano de São José from 2010 to 2011, located in Macau, China SAR. He also previously taught English at East Aurora High School from 2011 to 2013 in Aurora, Illinois, and at Catalyst Maria High School in Chicago, Illinois, from 2013 to 2016. Joining Abbott Lawrence Academy in 2016, Mr. Wendler currently teaches all the ALA sophomores in Pre-AP English II as well as upperclassmen in AP English Language & Composition and Creative Writing: Poetry. Previous course offerings at ALA include Debate and Philosophy of Human Behavior. In his free time, Mr. Wendler tries to stay physically active outside as well as emotionally active watching sports (Houston Astros, Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Blackhawks, LSU Tigers). His dog is Charles.
Rose Hodge graduated from Harvard College in 2010 with a Bachelors in Arts in History with a focus on African American history and a teaching certificate from Harvard’s Undergraduate Teacher Education Program. After college, she spent three years at Innovation Academy Regional Charter School in the Tyngsborough, MA. In addition to teaching history there, she ran the school’s internship program and advised the social club. After teaching there for three years, she moved to New York City to earn her Masters in Curriculum and Teaching at Columbia Teachers College. From 2015-2018, she taught in Duxbury, MA. She returned to urban education in 2018 as history and government teacher at Excel Academy Charter School in East Boston. While teaching at Excel she launched the school’s Advanced Placement US Government and Politics program and proudly advised the school’s K-Pop dance club. At Abbott, she teaches 11th grade government and serves as a class advisor on Student Government. In addition to history, Rose loves her pets, talking about current events, Dungeons and Dragons, and working at Abbott!
Sara Sobieski grew up in Newington, Connecticut. After high school she attended the University of Connecticut for her Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in History and Sociology and minoring in Political Science.
Shannon Morey grew up in Michigan. She graduated from Michigan State University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. During her undergraduate studies, Shannon served as Director of the Michigan State University (MSU) Science Theatre, a student-run outreach program. In this role, she organized and led interactive science demonstrations for Michigan students. After finishing her undergraduate work, she moved to Massachusetts to pursue a graduate degree. In 2013 received a Master of Science in Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Shannon was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to support her graduate work. While at MIT, she also worked as a Graduate Community Fellow for Women’s Programs. In this role, she organized workshops and panel discussions for female graduate students. Before making the transition to teaching full-time, Shannon served as the Director of Education for Science from Scientists, an organization that offers our nation’s youth exciting, informative and engaging training provided by practicing scientists. Shannon’s teaching career began in 2014 at East Boston High School where she taught Freshman Physics, AP Physics 1, Honors Chemistry and AP Chemistry. In 2015, she was awarded a Knowles Teacher Fellowship recognize her potential as a teacher leader and support her continued growth in the profession. Shannon is also the co-founder and Director of Education for BiteScis, an organization dedicated to developing resources that help teachers bring current scientific research into the classroom. Outside of work, Shannon loves to travel, cook, craft, and play video games.
Jim Muthig grew up in Upstate NY a long time ago and moved to North Berwick, Maine in the mid 1990s. Mr. Muthig earned his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the State University of New York at Maritime College and his Master’s degree in Education from the University of Southern Maine. At ALA Mr. Muthig teachers AP Computer Science, Digital Literacy, and Engineering. Mr. Muthig is also a Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Digital Electronics Master Teacher responsible for training teachers during the summer at participating universities on the PLTW engineering curriculum. Most recently during the summer of 2018 he taught at San Diego State University where he also got to spend his off time with his oldest son, Ben, who is employed by General Atomics Aviation as an aeronautical engineer in San Diego, CA. Mr. Muthig and his wife Mary have three other children, Cara (21), Asa (18) and Mya (16). When not teaching he enjoys working on his garden railroad and volunteering at a YMCA family camp on Lake Winnipesaukee.
Kaitlin Dinet was born in Pearl River, New York, a town north of New York City. After graduating from high school, Ms. Dinet attended Williams College where she double majored in biology and psychology. Ms. Dinet also played varsity softball for all four years at Williams and played pitcher, first base and third base. After graduating from college in 2013, Ms. Dinet began teaching middle school science in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She coached basketball for all three years at her school and was involved in many social emotional learning initiatives at her school as well. After three years in the classroom, Ms. Dinet took a year off from teaching to complete her Masters of Education in Human Development and Psychology at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Here she focused on trauma sensitive teaching practices and education policy and advocacy. She also interned at the Harvard Law School Education Law Clinic where she worked on advocating for special education students’ rights under the law. She is excited to be teaching high school biology at Abbott this year! Outside of school, Ms. Dinet likes to stay active, watch sports and read books!
Alex Chaconas was raised in Natick, MA a suburb west of Boston. He graduated from Hamilton University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry. In college, he played a year of soccer and rugby for the Continentals while serving as an RA in the dorms. Alex began teaching right out of college and completed a Masters of Education at Temple University in Philadelphia during night classes in 2011. He has over 10 years of experience in high school Mathematics and Chemistry classrooms from New Hampshire to Florida and began teaching in Lawrence in 2019. Outside of work, Alex enjoys playing basketball, strategy games, drawing, and building small pieces of furniture.
Gernelin Capellan was born and raised in Tenares, The Dominican Republic. He moved to the United States, (Lawrence, MA) when he was 12 years old. He attended to the Health and Human Services High School at the LHS Campus (Class of 2014). After high school, he graduated from Salem State University in 2018. He majored in World Languages and Cultures with a concentration in Spanish. He minored both in Educational Studies and Travel and Tourism. He has a strong passion for the Spanish language and supporting others to create an awareness of the importance of speaking Spanish in Spanish speaking countries, as well as in the Lawrence community. The best part of working in the Abbott Lawrence Academy is the strong built relationships between students and staffs. We truly are like a family here at ALA!
Cambre Santos was born in the Dominican Republic but raised in Lawrence, MA. She immigrated to the US at the age of 10. Cambre, a product of Lawrence Public Schools attended Guilmette middle school and then headed to Abbott Lawrence Academy where she graduated in 2019 as a founding member. Cambre double majored in Psychology and Spanish at UMass Lowell. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Umass Lowell in 2022 and is a member of Sigma Delta Pi.
Ms.Santos’s passion lies in exploring the portrayal of identity through art, and literature written by women as a tool to portray the issues that affect them within society. She strives to help her students progress in all areas of their development—academic, social, linguistic, and motor—which is a challenge that she’s honored to accept daily. Her biggest endeavor is to create a community of learners that nurtures growth in a positive, fun environment.
In her spare time, Cambre works as a part-time manager, and adores painting, cooking and working out. She loves to share her interests with other people, so feel free to ask her about them.
A lifelong resident of Lawrence, Tyler Andrade graduated from Merrimack College in 2017 with a Bachelor of Art degree in Biology and minor in Education. As an undergraduate student in the Honors Program, he participated in two laboratory research projects involving mycobacteriophage isolation and gene sequencing, and the effect of diabetes medication on fish behavior. He also developed and piloted the Honors Program’s first international service learning trip to teach English to students in the Dominican Republic. Prior to graduation, he was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society. In 2018, Tyler concluded his first year as a middle school teacher and graduated with his Masters of Education, also from Merrimack College. Since earning his Masters, Tyler has also obtained two graduate certificates dealing with school leadership and trauma education from Merrimack College and Lesley University respectively. As a middle school educator in both private and public schools in Lawrence, Tyler taught multiple subjects including science, language arts, and mathematics. As a teacher, Tyler was very involved in his school communities, serving in many capacities outside of the classroom including: facilitating summer school, facilitating a service learning program, moderating a media club, coaching cross country and track, and serving on the school’s Instructional Leadership, School Leadership, Teacher Leadership, and Data Wise teams. Tyler is thrilled to serve as Abbott Lawrence Academy’s Dean of Curriculum, Instruction, and Strategic Planning. Outside of work, he enjoys cooking and spending time with his family and dog, Mabel.
Alaina grew up in Lebanon, Maine but has lived and taught in Massachusetts since 2018. From a young age, Alaina knew that she wanted to be a teacher and is grateful that the passion progressed her to pursue a career in education after high school. At the University of Maine at Farmington, Alaina received her Bachelor’s of Arts in Education, specializing in History, and played on the women’s lacrosse team. After, Alaina attended the University of Maryland, where she graduated with a Master’s in Minority and Urban education. Since moving to Massachusetts in 2018, Alaina taught in the Metrowest area and has also coached youth and JV women’s lacrosse. Outside of teaching, Alaina enjoys working out, spending time outdoors, and enjoying the company of her family and friends. Alaina is ecstatic to teach at ALA and spend time with the wonderful students, community, families, and colleagues that make ALA special.
Daniel Doherty was born at Lawrence General Hospital and grew up in nearby North Andover. He graduated from Connecticut College in 2010 with a Bachelor’s degree in History and American Studies and earned a Master of Science (MSc) in History from the University of Edinburgh in 2016. He has taught numerous history courses over the years—including AP World History and AP U.S. History—and is currently ALA’s only AP Seminar teacher. Mr. Doherty enjoys spending time with family, running, playing music, and teaching and studying history. To that end, he is currently pursuing his PhD in History remotely and part-time through Durham University in the UK. His project explores anti-abolitionist mob violence and rioting in northern states during the post-Jacksonian period (1840-1849).
Alicia Cywar is one of the Guidance Counselors at Abbott Lawrence Academy. Ms. Cywar grew up in Glastonbury, Connecticut. After graduating from high school, she attended the University of Connecticut, where she obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Communications. Upon graduation, Ms. Cywar worked as a Recruiter for technology and manufacturing industry leaders. It was through her experiences working with college students entering the workforce that she decided to continue her education in School Counseling. She enrolled at Salem State University and graduated in May 2020 with her Masters in School Counseling and School Adjustment Counseling. Ms.Cywar has previously worked for Chelmsford High School as a Paraprofessional and in Rockport as a School Counselor. Outside of school, she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family and pets.
Michelle Addario grew up in Exeter, New Hampshire. She spent a lot of her childhood in Puerto Rico because her father grew up there. After high school, she attended Colby College and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish Language and Literature. As a college junior, she spent the year in Seville, Spain. After graduating from Colby College, she worked in the legal field for many years. Deciding that law was not for her, she decided to embark upon a teaching career. She earned a master’s degree in teaching and curriculum at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and started teaching upon graduation. She has worked in Newburyport and Tewksbury. During her teaching tenure, she was awarded a scholarship from the Massachusetts Foreign Language Association to spend a summer studying in Cuernavaca, Mexico and one from the Spanish Embassy to study in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. In 2022, she graduated from Lesley University with a doctorate in educational leadership. In her free time, Michelle enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, traveling, and binge-watching too many television shows!
As a first-generation college graduate, Mr. Gonzalez has a deep understanding of the journey toward higher education. Born in the Dominican Republic and settling in Lawrence Mass in 2003, Mr. Gonzalez’s personal experience infuses his role with cultural sensitivity and relatability.
Educated at Lawrence High School, Framingham State University, and Merrimack College, Mr. Gonzalez boasts a comprehensive background encompassing teaching, college admissions, as well as college and career counseling. His professional journey includes being a former teacher/counselor at Spark Academy, where he mentored 7th and 8th graders. Additionally, he was a senior admissions counselor at Merrimack College, supporting Pioneer Scholars and students across the country.
